Fir Bark Beetle

Citrus fruits, pomegranate, persimmon, apricot, peach, fig

Adults are generally about two-thirds the size of a housefly. The overall body color is yellowish brown, and the wings are broad with black and pale brownish bands.

Larvae feeding on the fleshy parts of host fruits cause softening and fruit drop. Infested fruits ripen prematurely and fall.

Adult emergence from overwintering generations occurs in late spring and early summer. After temperatures begin rising above 16 °C, the pest can produce 4–5 generations per year in the Aegean region and 7–8 generations per year in the Mediterranean region. After trees begin to flower, 3 traps per hectare should be installed.

Since the pest can produce multiple generations within a year, control measures should begin when population increases are detected in monitoring traps. In citrus, trapping is typically carried out during September–October, and in pomegranate during August–September. Traps should be hung at 15–20 meter intervals, especially before the ripening of early varieties such as Satsuma mandarins and pomegranate cultivars.